Overarching Priority: Assist Mercer County Residents
Achieve a Healthy Weight and Lifestyle Throughout Their Lives.

Priority Group II – School-Aged-Children

GOAL III: TO REDUCE SUBSTANCE ABUSE RISK FACTORS AND INCREASE PROTECTIVE FACTORS IN SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN.

Key CHNA Findings

  • In 2013, 12.9% of New Jersey teens were current smokers.
  • In 2013, 39.3% of New Jersey teens drank alcohol.
  • In 2013, 21% report currently using marijuana.
  • In 2013, 30.7% of teens were offered, sold or given an illegal drug on school property.

Objective:

3.1 Increase substance abuse and protective factor knowledge in school-aged children by 10% as determined by pre- and post-tests, of evidence-based education programs.

Strategy

Performance Indicator

Responsible Party

3.1a

3.1b

Teach the evidence-based program “Protecting Me, Protecting You” program to 250-375 K-5 students.

  • # of student participants.

a) Mercer Council on Alcohol and Drug Addiction (MCADA)

Teach the evidence-based Life Skills Training program to 250-375 6th-8th grade students annually that prepares adolescents to say no to drugs, peer pressure, alcohol, and tobacco.
  • # of student participants.

b) MCADA

3.1c


3.1d

Working with the Student Assistance Counselors, form a Youth Tobacco Action Group in 2019.

Educate the parents, staff, and community about the long-term effects of vaping.
  • # of group meetings.
  • # of events and attendees.

c) MCADA

  • MCADA
  • RWJ-Hamilton
  • St. Francis Medical Center

Strategy

Performance Indicator

Responsible Party

3.1e

Update the school substance abuse policies in preparation for the upcoming State marijuana laws, and ensure they are educational and
less punitive.
  • Policy complete.

e) MCADA

3.1f

3.1g

Organize an “Education Forum” for school administration in 2019.

Look at the school substance abuse policies to ensure they are more educational, and less punitive.
  • # of attendees.
  • Policy complete.

f) MCADA
RWJ-Hamilton


g) MCADA

3.1h

Meet with superintendents and headmasters to encourage
availability of “Screening/Brief Intervention/Referral to Treatment” (SBIRT)
programs in schools.
  • # of schools approached
  • # of schools offering SBIRT.
  • # of students utilizing SBIRT.
  • % SBIRT rate in X amount of school districts.

h) MCADA
Mercer County School Superintendents
Private School Headmasters

3.1i

Local health departments inspect all tobacco establishments for age of sale enforcement annually.
  • # of establishments inspected.
  • # of establishments in compliance.

i) Mercer County Health Officer Assoc.
Princeton Health Department
Montgomery Health Department

3.1j

Train professionals in the administration of Botvin Life Skills – Evidence based curriculum
  • # of professionals that become trained in the curriculum May 1, 2019

j) Mercer County Human Services

GOAL IV: TO PREVENT AND REDUCE CHILDHOOD OBESITY THROUGH THE PROMOTION OF COMPLETE STREETS AND VISION ZERO INITIATIVES FOCUSED ON SAFE WALKING/BIKING TO SCHOOL.

Key CHNA Findings:

  • 14% of New Jersey teens reported being overweight in 2013, and 8.5% were obese.
  • In 2013, 11.6% of teens were not physically active for at least 1 hour on at least 1 day a week.

Objective:

  • Increase the number of students walking and biking to school in Mercer County by 20%, by 2021.
  • Increase an educational event and/or opportunity that promotes safe walking and biking lifestyles annually.

Strategy

Performance Indicator

Responsible Party

4.1a

4.1b

4.1c

Obtain an inventory of current safety conditions of paths to one school
per year.

Ask county schools to supply a baseline survey of walking and cycling students. Update and tally the number of walkers and cyclists by 2021.

Reach out to schools to conduct walkability audits for input into School
Travel Plans.
  • Inventory list.
  • Lists created.
  • # of walkability audits completed.
  • # of School Travel Plans created.

a) GMTMA

St. Francis Medical Center

b) GMTMA

St. Francis Medical Center

c) GMTMA

St Lawrence Rehabilitation Center

RWJ-Hamilton

St. Francis Medical Center

4.1d

4.1e

4.1f
Reach out to at least 2 schools annually to promote support for the Walking School Bus Program from 2019-2021.

Participating schools will market Walking School Bus Program via social media and other means from 2019-21.

Determine the baseline Walking School Bus Program app used in 2018.
  • # of schools approached.
  • # of participating schools.
  • # of social media posts.
  • # of Walking School Bus app registrations.

d) GMTMA

Isles

RWJ-Hamilton

St. Francis Medical Center

e) GMTMA
St. Francis Medical Center


f) GMTMA
St. Francis Medical Center

4.1g

Increase the use of Walking School Bus app by 20% by June 2021
  • # of Walking School Bus app registrations.

g) GMTMA

4.1h

GMTMA will ask GMPHP to adopt a Safe Routes to School Resolution by 2020.
  • Resolution adopted.

h) GMTMA
GMPHP
St. Francis Medical Center

4.1i

Reach out to at least 2 school districts per year to adopt Safe Routes to School Resolutions.
  • # of school districts that adopted Safe Routes to School Resolutions.

i) GMTMA
St. Francis Medical Center
Isles

Strategy

Performance Indicator

Responsible Party

4.1j

4.1k

Provide presentations to 5 new schools, churches, and other local organizations
regarding the safe routes to school program each year to promote the number of children walking or biking to school.

Recruit at least 1 school per year to participate in the “Kids to Council Empowerment Program”, outlining results of their walkability
audits to their town council, by 2021.
  • # of presentations.
  • # of schools presenting each year.

j) GMTMA
Isles
RWJ-Hamilton
St. Francis Medical Center

k) GMTMA
St Lawrence Rehabilitation Center
St. Francis Medical Center

4.2a

Develop safe kids events that promote safe biking and walking lifestyle.
  • # of attendees
  • # of events

a) St Lawrence Rehabilitation Center
Princeton Health Department
GMTMA

4.2b

Work with coalition to develop walking clubs and walking events in the community.
  • # of attendees and events

Lawrence Hopewell Trail
RWJB
GMTMA
Mercer County Parks
Capital Health Medical Center
Princeton Senior Resource Center

4.2c

Work with coalition to develop walking events in the community.
  • # of attendees and events

Lawrence Hopewell Trail
RWJB
Mercer County Parks
GMTMA
Capital Health Medical Center
Princeton Senior Resource Center

GOAL V: IMPROVE SAFETY ON ROADS AND BIKE PATHS TO CREATE RECREATIONAL ALTERNATIVES TO PROMOTE HEALTHY
LIFESTYLES FOR CHILDREN.

Key CHNA Findings:

  • In 2018, there were 714 auto crashes involving a minor.
  • In 2013, 11.6% of teens reported less than 1 hour of physical activity at least 1 day a week.

Objective:

5.1 Reduce roadway fatalities to zero by 2021.

Strategy

Performance Indicator

Responsible Party

5.1a

Present Vision Zero history and goals to the GMPHP Board meeting in January 2019, and request a Resolution of Support.
  • Board meeting adoption of resolution.

a) GMTMA
GMPHP

5.1b

Prepare a template for the Health Officers to help them present the Vision Zero movement to officials.
  • Template completed and sent to health officers

GMTMA

5.1c

Health Officers will present the Vision Zero template to
their town engineers for feedback.
  • # of Health Officers who presented to their town engineers.

b) Mercer County Health Officers
Princeton Health Department
Lawrence Health Department
St. Francis Medical Center

5.1d

Follow up to at least 2 municipalities per year to request
they adopt Vision Zero policies by 2021.
  • # of municipalities that adopt policies.


d) GMTMA
St Lawrence Rehabilitation Center
Lawrence Health Department
St. Francis Medical Center

5.1e

Provide technical assistance to two local organizations seeking grants for making engineering modifications to streets that promote walkability, by 2021.
  • # of modifications that improve safe walkability and cycling.

e) GMTMA

5.1f

Ask partners to promote walking and cycling via social media outlets, their websites, and hand-outs at outreach events.
  • # of events promoted annually.

f) GMTMA
GMPHP
St Lawrence Rehabilitation Center
Princeton Health Department
St. Francis Medical Center

GOAL VI: IMPROVE ACCESS TO CARE OF SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN.

Key CHNA Findings:

  • Children aged 1-5 had mean blood lead levels of 3.4 ug/dL.
  • 50% of respondents earning an income of under $25,000 did not have dental screening.
  • 2% of survey respondents reported difficulty finding a dentist.
  • 41% of children in Mercer county are eligible for free school lunches.

Objective:

6.1 Reduce mean blood lead levels in children aged 1 to 5 years from 3.4 ug/dL (Baseline) to 1.5 ug/dL (Target)
6.2 Improve oral hygiene and early referrals to dental care in underserved areas, by 2021.
6.3 Increase availability of wellness clinics in an underserved area, by 2021

.

Strategy

Performance Indicator

Responsible Party

6.1a

Provide “Chip Goes Exploring” curriculum to students in 5
child care centers a year.
  • # of students attending program.
  • # of students who can list 2 preventative actions they can take.

a) Isles

6.1b

Provide a 5-hour Eco-Healthy Child Care ® Train the Trainer (TtT) Curriculum to 5 schools each year, which offers information on 11 core
content areas: pesticides, poor air quality, household chemicals, lead, mercury, furniture and carpets, art supplies, plastics, arsenic, radon and recycling. The TtT prepares individuals to become an EHCC resource for their localized communities.
  • # of school staff trained each year.

b) Isles
Princeton Health Department

6.2a

TCNJ will “train the trainer”, 50 student nurses to go into Trenton schools and maternal child settings, to screen for poor oral hygiene. They will teach good hygiene techniques and refer to dental services. They will be certified “Smiles for Life” a National Oral Health Curriculum.
  • # students screened.

a) TCNJ

6.2b

Create a traveling oral health display for screening events in 2019.
  • Track events

b) TCNJ

Strategy

Performance Indicator

Responsible Party

6.3a

6.3b

Develop a plan to start a school-based health center in Trenton.

Develop a school-based Health Center by December 31, 2021.
  • Identify existing models.
  • Identify potential funders.
  • Identify best-demonstrated practices.
  • Plan for the development of a school-based clinic.
  • Opening of a school-based clinic.

a) Trenton Board of Education
Henry J. Austin FQHC
NJDOH
Trenton Human Services

b) Trenton Human Services